


How to get along — or fail trying.

by digthewriter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Character Death, Forced to get along, Friends to Enemies, M/M, Minor Character Death, get along, they live
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 11:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20044894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digthewriter/pseuds/digthewriter
Summary: Lily gives Sirius and Severus an ultimatum.





	How to get along — or fail trying.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [monkiainen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkiainen/gifts).

> **Notes:** Thank you to the most amazing [](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/OllieMaye/profile)[**OllieMaye**](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/OllieMaye/) for the beta. All the remaining mistakes are mine. Written for [](https://rarepair-shorts.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**rarepair_shorts**](https://rarepair-shorts.dreamwidth.org/) 2019 wishlist event. Recipient: [](https://monkiainen.dreamwidth.org/profile)[](https://monkiainen.dreamwidth.org/)**monkiainen**.  
**Content:** AU | YOUKNOWWHO defeated after the first war thanks to Snape. MCD mentioned in passing. Angst.

"Listen, it's almost time for Harry to get his Hogwarts letter. Don't you think it's time for you two to get along?" Lily crossed her arms and stared down at Sirius and Snape as she leaned against her kitchen sink. 

When no one said anything, she continued. 

"He's always asking about why we have two different get-togethers for everything. Or why whenever one godfather is in the room, the other one leaves." 

"Perhaps you should've assigned the boy _one_ godfather then," Snape said with disdain and Sirius hadn't agreed more. 

"Exactly," Sirius said. "It should've been me and you'd get it over with. Obviously, I've known James longer than—" 

"There's no evidence…" Snape began. 

"Stop." Lily's voice was commanding and they both were immediately quiet. "I've talked this over with James and unless the two of you can figure out a way to get along, neither one of you is allowed near Harry. And if you don't solve then, then fine, I'll make preparations to send Harry to Durmstrang instead." 

"You've got to be joking!" Sirius protested and at the same time, Snape said, "Now you're just making absurd claims." 

They looked at each other. 

"No. This is final. I've finally managed to get on good terms with my own sister. I'm sure the two of you can learn to be civil around each other. You're not to speak badly of the other behind his back to Harry—" 

"I don't do that," Sirius said and Lily raised an eyebrow. He looked at Snape and scowled. 

"We are all adults and we need to lead by example." 

With that final statement, Lily left the room. 

Sirius scowled for a very long time and then he finally huffed and turned his body around to face Snape's. When he chanced a look at Snape, the man looked perplexed. 

"What?" Sirius snapped when Snape continued to look confused and agitated. 

"She didn't leave any instructions," he said. 

"About what?" Sirius waived his hands in the air. 

Snape shrugged. "Getting along. A step-by-step guide would've been nice." 

Sirius rolled his eyes. "This isn't one of your DADA classes." 

Snape glowered at him. "I suppose not everyone can teach DIY Muggle Studies. You don't even have a curriculum, or syllabi you provide to the Headmaster and—" 

"You don't need curriculum in Muggle Studies. It's called ‘don't be an arse to Muggles or Muggleborns’. Something you could have learned from the start," Sirius snapped. 

"That doesn't even make any sense. I'm best friends with a bloody Muggleborn!" Snape shouted in return. 

"Don't take that tone with me!" Sirius immediately stood up with his wand out, pointing it towards Snape. In a moment's notice, Snape was doing the same. 

As if to relieve the tension in the room, a nine-year-old entered the room. 

"Mum wants to know why you're shouting," Harry said, looking up at his godfathers, _both of them_, with wide eyes. 

"We're not shouting. We're telling jokes," said Sirius. 

"Oh, can I hear one?" 

"No, it's for grownups only," replied Sirius as Snape snorted.

"Fine. Mum also wants me to take your wands and bring them to her." 

Sirius sighed with frustration and handed his wand to Harry and Harry took Snape's wand as well. Before he left the room, he said, "We're going shopping. Mum says crimson is in fashion for next autumn." 

The oblivious child walked away with Sirius's wand, leaving Sirius feeling annoyed and vulnerable in front of his favourite enemy he loved to hate. 

Snape sighed and returned to his seat at the table. 

This wasn't the first time Lily had tried to get them to "get along" _whatever that meant_ — but this time, she'd finally hit below the belt. She'd used the boy as tool against them.

"This is dumb," said Sirius. 

"Finally, something we agree on," replied Snape. 

"Why are you such an arse anyway?" 

"Excuse me?" Snape acted offended. 

"Yeah. I reckon we'd get along if you weren't still _such_ an arse. I mean, I understand you changed your mind during the war and came over to our side. You helped save James and Lily and Harry—but—I thought you'd be nicer." 

"You thought I'd be _nicer_?" Snape said as if offended. Sirius wanted to roll his eyes. "Need I remind you, Black, it was I who exposed how your friend, your _best_ friend, had revealed Lily's location to the Dark Lord and it was because of _me_ that Potter was saved? And have you forgotten the only reason I come around is because Lily requests it—as if I do not see the looks you and Potter give whenever you see me. As if it were me—as if I were the reason…" Snape took a deep breath and Sirius didn't know why he was so upset. 

Sirius didn't like him. Never did. Snape acted all high and mighty and pureblood_esque_, even though he wasn't; and Sirius never told him he wasn't. He wasn't the type to remind people of their blood status. 

"Lupin." 

One word. One word and Sirius nearly lost it. 

"You don't get to say his name." 

Sirius turned, wanting to hit something. It'd been more than eight years but that didn't mean anything. It didn't mean it didn't still hurt. 

"Of course." The tone of Snape's reply surprised Sirius. He'd expected Snape to continue arguing, to keep pushing Sirius's buttons, but he sounded...apologetic. He quickly turned to see a pained expression on Snape's face before it disappeared. 

"If you'll forgive me—" Snape started to leave when Sirius grabbed him by his arm. 

"Wait…" 

"Please unhand me, Black." 

The command, the authority, the haughtiness was still there, but still, Snape's voice quivered. 

Then it dawned on him. No one talked about Remus to them: to Sirius, and James, and even Lily, because they didn't have any right. He was _their_ friend and he gave his life to save _Harry_. Sirius didn't like it whenever anyone mentioned him because he loved Remus and didn't want his memory tainted in any way. He was their best friend. More than a friend. More than a brother. 

He died when he found out the Potter family was in danger. But… 

"You feel _guilty?_" Sirius asked, confused, as if the gears were slowly turning and clicking into place; he added, "for his death." 

"I'm the reason he's dead, so yes, I feel guilty." Snape's expression didn't change. He stated everything so matter-of-factly, Sirius wanted to know what he could do to make the man lose control. 

He only had two modes: snooty or sarcastic. Evidently, this was the moment Sirius wanted to find more modes. 

"You didn't kill him," Sirius said slowly, as if approaching a spooked hippogriff. 

"If that is what you all believe, then you've been doing a piss-poor job of showing it. Every time I'm in the room and his name is mentioned, everyone freezes up as if there's an elephant in the room and I put it there." 

"There is an elephant in the room," Sirius said shaking his head. "He was our friend and now he's dead. Two of our friends are dead and that's not something that's ever going to go away. And we act weird because it's, I don't know, fucking weird? It's uncomfortable because he's dead. We don't act any different around you—it's how we react. Something you'd know if you were ever in the room for more than five fucking minutes, mate." 

"We are not mates." 

Sirius took a step back and released his grip from Snape's elbow. "Right. We are not." 

Much to his surprise, Snape didn't leave. He didn't even move. He looked down at his arm where Sirius's hold had been and he kept staring. 

"Don't worry, Princess, it won't leave a mark," Sirius said and he sagged back into the chair feeling exhausted.

"_What_?" Sirius finally snapped. "Why are you so quiet?" 

Snape raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hate it when I speak?" 

"Well, not after this. Not after we just…I don't know…" _Had a moment?_ That was certainly strange to say. 

"I always assumed you hated me because I'm the reason _he_ is dead. Almost as if you wish I'd got there in time first. I would have died instead of him." 

"Of course not!" Sirius nearly shouted. "You saved them. You can't save everyone. No one blames you. You do know that, don't you?" 

Snape sat in the chair next to Sirius and tilted his head back. There was a sort of peculiar beauty about him Sirius had noticed before but had never named it. He needed to take his eyes off Snape's neck, or the way his robes fit him so well even if they seemed to drag behind him—he had a sense of style and Sirius always refused to acknowledge it. 

"Then why…" 

"Why what?" Sirius asked. 

"Why do you always put up this fight? Don't you think I get tired of it?" 

Sirius would have never believed Snape to be the first one to give up control. To give in and express anything else that wasn't disdain towards Sirius. So he was genuinely surprised by Snape's question. 

Snape's hands were resting on top of the table so Sirius tentatively took one. They had held hands before. A very, very long time ago. Before the war, and their fight, and before Snape had joined… A long time ago. 

"Because it's easier to hate you than to admit…" Sirius didn't want to go on but Snape was extremely quiet. Waiting. Waiting for Sirius to admit the things he'd not wanted to admit to anyone. Not even James. 

"Admit…it's okay to be happy after Remus. To be okay that he's gone. James and Lily—they were married before, and they'll continue to be married, but me—" 

"You were lovers?" Snape asked and even though his face was neutral, his voice had given him away. 

"No." Sirius took his hand away. _Not like us_. 

They didn't say anything for a while. Silence stretched and even though it was becoming too much, there was nothing Sirius could do. 

"I never meant to betray _you_." Snape removed his hands from the table and brought them to his lap. 

"And I didn't _hate_ you." 

"You could've fooled me." 

"I think I'd fooled myself," replied Sirius. 

Snape shook his head. "You always were the best with words." 

Sirius smiled then. "You're good at cutting people with them. I'm good at healing them with mine," he admitted. "You learn to do that when everyone around you is hurting." 

"Right." Snape cleared his throat and stood up abruptly. "I'd say first step accomplished. Let's not overrun our luck." 

Sirius frowned. They were _just_ starting to get along. Snape didn't need to run away so fast. 

"What are you afraid of?" Sirius asked, closing the distance between them and Snape took a step back. Sirius kept approaching and Snape kept stepping back until he hit the wall behind him. Then, Sirius was in his space entirely. 

"Afraid? Are you going to attack me?" Snape asked, feigning fear. 

"Can't. Don't have my wand." 

"Unfortunately, that means I can't Disapparate, either." 

"Unfortunately," Sirius teased. 

"What do you want, Black?" Snape asked, faux derision back in his voice. "Do you want to hurt me still?" 

"Had we just not established I do not want to, Severus?" 

Snape's eyes widened then. Yes, Sirius had his full attention now. 

As if on their own accord, because Sirius couldn't imagine Snape ever doing this voluntarily, his hips jerked up and his groin pressed against Sirius's. Sirius pressed back. He was half-hard, and then quickly his body woke up. Wanting the other man. Recognising that familiar…longing. 

"Si—" 

It was all Snape managed to say before Sirius pressed his lips against Snape's and kissed him. His tongue didn't need to do much probing before it entered Snape's mouth. 

Defence Against the Dark Arts stood no chance against brash Muggle boldness.

THE END


End file.
